Mark Noble appointed West Ham Sporting Director.

Former club captain Mark Noble has been appointed the new Sporting Director of West Ham United and will formally take up his new position on January 2023.

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Noble only retired as a player at the end of the last season, having spent his entire playing career with the Hammers, apart from two brief loan spells with Hull City and Ipswich Town.

In fact, the man known as “Mr. West Ham” has supported the club since he was a boy, and grew up just one mile from their old ground at Upton Park. He became the youngest ever player to appear in their reserve team aged just 15, and would go on to make more Premier League appearances than any other player for the club.

He also had the distinction of having the second highest conversion rate of penalty kicks in the world over the past 20 years, with only Robert Lewandowski ranked ahead of him.

Although he did not start many games in the latter stage of his career, he continued to make regular appearances from the bench, whilst his influence in the dressing room and behind the scenes was enormous.

Already, the man who succeeded him as captain, Declan Rice has admitted that the team this season has missed his drive and commitment. And, whilst the two are not necessarily related, it is undoubtedly true that so far the East London club have struggled this campaign to match their level of the past two seasons.

This is the first time that West Ham have had a Sporting Director, but it has been made clear that, in his new role, he will be heavily involved in transfers and recruitment.

Some have questioned Noble’s qualifications for the role, given that he has little knowledge of football outside the prism of West Ham, and may lack the contacts and knowledge of European and World football that some of his new peers will possess.

And there are others who are arguing that appointing a club legend to the role is just window dressing and a PR exercise, and that the club have appointed him because he comes cheaper than many other high profile alternatives.

However, on the other hand, Noble understands, perhaps better than anyone, the values of West Ham and what it means to play for the club. And, given that character is at least as important as talent when it comes to getting recruitment right, then he may yet prove to be a shrewd judge of who will succeed in West Ham shirt.

And he should also be an ideal conduit between the academy and first team, having previously played in both camps.

And West Ham are not the only club to have appointed one of their former players to key roles behind the scenes.

At Arsenal, for example, Mikel Arteta is now the manager, Edu Sporting Director, and Per Mertesacker is head of youth development. And former player, Jack Wilshere, has recently returned to the club as under-18 coach.

Ultimately Noble will be judged by results and who he brings to the club. If he gets that right, then he can cement his legacy at the club even more.